Rubber sleeve protector for drill pipes



y 22, 1952 R. H. HOWARD 2,604,365

RUBBER SLEEVE PROTECTOR FOR DRILL PIPES Filed April 17,1947

Raga/2 f7. How/am? Emewtor y 4 y f (iii-army Patented July 22, 1952 RUBBER SLEEVE PROTECTOR FOR DRILL PIPES Ralph H. Howard, Oklahoma City, Okla.

Application April 17, 1947, Serial No. 742,210

1 Claim.

The invention relates to rubber sleeve protectors for drill pipes, and has for its object to provide a protector adapted to be forced over a drill pipe, and the protector so shaped, whereby the ends of the protector will not be unduly expanded after it is in position on a pipe, hence reducing the possibility of tearing the ends to a minimum, and at the same time materially reducing the amount of power necessary to force the protector over the pipe.

A further object is to so shape the protector whereby the maximum contracting force will be centrally of the protector and gradually decreas ing towards the ends of the protector.

A further object is to provide a drill pipe protector, cylindrical shaped, when not in use, and of slightly greater outside diameter than the pipe on which the protector is to be placed, and the protector with an inwardly bulged wall, the ends of which wall curve outwardly at the ends of the protector and terminate at the outer periphery of the protector.

A further object is to provide a cylindrical protector having a pipe receiving passage therethrough, formed by inwardly bulged walls, which inwardly bulged walls are forced outwardly when the protector is forced onto a p p thereby u wardly bulging the outer wall of the protector.

With the above and other objects in view the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawing, described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention may be made within the scope of what is claimed Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view through the protector, showing its shape and form before being placed on a drill pipe.

Figure 2 is a vertical transverse sectional view through a portion of a drill pipe, showing the protector expanded and on the pipe.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Referr ng to the drawing, the numeral I designates a portion of a drill pipe, of the type used in connection with oil wells, and onto which pipe protectors are forced at Various positions.

In the present case, the protector I is cylindrical shaped, of uniform diameter, throughout its length, the outer periphery being designated by the numeral 2. It will be noted, referring to Figure 2, that the outer periphery 2 of the sleeve is of a diameter slightly greater than the outer diameter of the pipe I; the idea being to reduce the amount of circumferential stretching of the upper and lower edges 3 of the protector to a minimum, when the protector is forced over the p pe The sleeve l is provided with a pipe receiving opening 4 extending entirely through the same, and the opening 4 is formed by the inwardly bulged circumferential wall 5, as shown in Figure 1, and the opening 4 increases in diameter from the horizontal center of the sleeve towards its ends, so that the ends of the bulged wall 5 terminate adjacent the circumferential edges 3 at the ends of the sleeve. It will be noted that when the sleeve is forced over the pipe, or the pipe through the sleeve, the greatest stretching or expansion of the sleeve will take place on its center at a, and the amount of stretching will gradually decrease towards the ends of the sleeve and to the circumferential edges 3, which edges have been slightly stretched so they will circumferentially engage the outer periphery of the pipe 1 without undue stretching, thereby reducing to a minimum the possibility of the ends of the sleeve tearing during the sleeve expanding operation. It will be noted, referring to Figure 2, that the outer cylindrical wall 2 of the sleeve as shown in Figure 1 is outwardly bulged, and

the inwardly bulged wall 5 as shown in Figure l is straight. During this outward bulging operation the sleeve is slightly shortened as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, and this action will pull inwardly the material at the ends of the sleeve towards the outer periphery of the pipe I.

By constructing the protector sleeve of rubber, which is the usual practice, and in this particular shape, the protector can be easily forced over the pipe with half the power necessary with present sleeves, and the possibility of tearing the ends of the sleeve, incident to the use of an applicator, or to the sleeve when in use is reduced to a minimum.

From the above it will be seen that a drill pipe sleeve is provided which is simple in construction, easy to apply, and one which will not tear when being applied in the usual manner.

The invention having been set forth what is claimed as new and useful is:

A completely deformable cylindrical resilient drill pipe sleeve adapted to be forced over a drill pipe and deformed to an outwardly bulged shape tapering from a point intermediate its ends to its ends, said sleeve being cylindrical throughout its length and of uniform outside diameter throughout its length and having a passage extending entirely therethrough, thereby forming UNITED STATES PATENTS an inner wall, said inner wall being inwardly bulged circumferentially throughout its length, z f Aug t l lw'l said inner wall curving from a point intermediate 1,814,183 PattmTs'on July 1931 the ends of the sleeve to the ends thereof and 5 2045629 Bettis 1936 terminating adjacent the outer periphery of the 2,299,978 Han Oct 1942 Sleeve at the ends therwf- 2,308,147 Ballagh Jan 12, 19

RALPH H. HOWARD.

REFERENCES CITED 10 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

